Flat-iron



0. H. DESMARAIS.

FLAT IRON.

APPLICATION man DEC.|3.1919.

1,364,868. Patented Jan. 11,1921.

INVENTOR WITNESSES v Y J I W I 5,

ATTORNEYS ill) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR HARRY DESMAltAIS, 0F HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ON E- FOURTH TO HENRY W. YQUNGIIING, OFIWEW YORK, N. Y.

FLAT-IRON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed December 13, 1919. Serial No. 344.642.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR H. DESMARAIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hackensack, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented new and. Improved Flatlrons, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description. I

This invention relates to laundry appliances and has particular reference to fiatirons.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a removable handle for a flatiron of the simplest and most reliable nature having in view not only the simplicity and cheapness of construction, but above all the reliability of the attachment means for the handle in practice, rendering it impossible for the heavy iron to be dropped because of slippage, breakage, or other failure of the handle, or its attaching means.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein,

still for the purpose of illustrating a prac-.

tical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on a plane approximated by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical'transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show a flatiron 10 of any suitable size, design, or material, but made ordinarily as a metal casting and when being socast is formed with four holes, two at 11 and two at 12, all of said holes being formed in the longitudinal center of the upper side of the flatiron and hence all lying in the same vertical plane. After the fiatiron is formed the holes 11 are fitted with two head ed studs shown in the form of screws 13 tapped into the holes 11 with a tight or permanent fit so that they cannot be removed except intentionally and by the use of special tools.

The handle is shown as a whole at 14 and comprises a grip 15 preferably of wood or A some other suitable poor conductor of heat, adapting it naturally as a comfortable han dle. To the ends of the grip are rigidly secured as by means of screws 16, or their equivalent, the vertical end portions 17 of a bail whose bottom member 18 is flat and adapted to lie directly against the flat upper surface of the flatiron. It is to be un derstood however that if the top of the flatiron be shaped otherwise than flat the base or bottom'member 18 of the bail will be correspondingly shaped so as to fit directly against it. As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 the bail is materially wider at the bottom than at its ends for the purpose of making a rigid and substantially tight connection with the fiatiron in practice. The immediate connection between the handle or bail and the flatiron is effected through the studs 13,, one side edge of the base 18 being notched at 19 to receive the studs when the handle is moved laterally with respect to the vertical central plane above referred to into attaching position so that the heads of the studs are engagedby the upper surface of the base 18 while'the bottom surface of the base lies snug against the flatiron. The bail 18 is stiff and strong and the main portion of the grip 15 being rigidly connected to the bail there can be no rattle, looseness', vibration or spring either in the handle alone or with respect to its connection with the fiatiron, The bail is held by the studs 13 from relative movement with respect to the fiatiron in either direction excepting to one side ofthe longitudinal plane above referred to and when in such position the studs constitute the direct connecting means and being of a strong nature the connection between the handle and the fiatiron is positive and reliable.v I

Any suitable means may be provided auxiliary to the grip 15 to prevent undesired movement of the handle laterally for disconnection from the flatiron. To this end I. provide a keeper or locking device comprising a bar 20 slidable vertically into and out of a channel 21 formed longitudinally along the upper edge of the grip 1 5. The bar 20 is'preferablv made of wood or some other suitable poor conductor of heat. The upper edge portion 20 of the bar is convexed to conform to the general curvature of the grip and with which it forms a substantial part during the operation of the flatiron. To the opposite ends of the bar are rigidly secured as by means of screws 22 a pair of vertical bolts 23 each of which is countersunk and slidable in a vertical groove 24 formed in the adjacent end of the grip 15. Each bolt 23 lies against an adjacent end portion 17 of the hail, the parts being held in such relation by reason of the grooves 24. The lower ends of the bolts constitute prongs 25 which interlock by gravity into the holes 21 of the flatiron and when in such interlocking position the rounded upper surface of the bar 20 lies substantially flush with the top portion of the grip 15 making a neat comfortable handle. It will be observed that with the parts in the position just described the simple act of grasping the handle serves involuntarily to hold the bar 20 well down in the groove 21 and consequently the lugs or points 25 of the bolts are held in the holes 12 making it impossible for the handle as a whole to be moved laterally from the studs 13 at any time while the device is being manipulated irrespective of the position in which the iron may be held. Naturally the keeper will drop with the ends of the bolts into the holes aforesaid and will so remain while the iron is in ironing position or while it is being lifted or lowered, handle downward, for it is not unusual for the flatiron to be lifted in such a manner that the smooth bottom surface is upward, as for instance when testing it as to heat, applying wax, or other purposes. Nevertheless the keeper cannot drop orslip from holding position at such time because of the fact that the hand. grasping around the handle will hold the two parts 15 and 20 in their nested position as shown in the drawings.

The detachment of the handle for application thereof to another iron or for other purposes may easily be effected while the flatiron is resting in idle position, by simply lifting upward on the bar 20 which may easily be grasped by the thumb and finger of either hand by reason of the reduced portions 26 of the hand grip at opposite sides of. the central portion of the bar. By lifting upward thus on the keeper the points 25'are withdrawn clear of the fiatiron and the handle as a whole is then free to be moved laterally fromthe studs. The introduction of the base of the handle beneath the studs facilitated .by the flaring of the notches 19. and the slight beveling of the edges of the notches as indicated at The upward movement of the keeper is limited by any suitable stop means such as pins 28 attached to the bolts 23, the pins being adapted to strike against the end portions of the hand grip 15. This device is composed solely of simple rigid parts of a relatively cheap nature and adapted for posi-.

tive cooperation with one another. There being no springs or other elements that are liable to break or deteriorate by reason of proximity to heat, it is of a reliable construction and hence is practically indestructible.

I claim:

1. The combination with a fiatiron and a detachable handle grip therefor, of means for detachably connecting the grip to the flatiron comprising a bail having interlocking and lifting connection with the flatiron, the bail being removable from the flatiron by movement in one direction only, means acting by gravity when the fiatiron is in normal ironing position and cooperating with the flatiron to prevent such movement of the handle, and means auxiliary to the handle grip serving by virtue of the hand. of the operator in gripping position to prevent the failure of the aforesaid gravity means.

2. The combination with a flatiron and a detachable handle therefor, the handle being detachable from the flatiron by a lateral movement, of means to prevent the accidental lateral movement of the handle comprising a keeper operative by gravity when the flatiron is in normal horizontal position and including a member auxiliary to the handle grip whereby the hand of the operator involuntarily while grasping the handle serves to hold the keeper in holding position.

3. The combination with a flat iron, of a detachable handle therefor, said handle lateral movement of the bail, said keeper ineluding a bar parallel to the grip and adapted to be held in holding position by the operator while the hand is grasping the grip.

The combination with a flatiron having a pair of studs fixed to the upper surface thereof and'having a pair of holesand a removable handle for the flatiron, of means including a pair of bolts movable vertically when the flatiron is in normal position and projectable into said holes to prevent the removal. of the handle, a bar adjacent to the grip of the handle to which the bolts are connected and whereby the bolts are held in looking position while the hand of the operator is maintained in position grasping the handle.

OSCAR HARRY DESMARAIS. 

